


Bonding for Peace

by Femslash_writer



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/F, First Time, Forced Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage, Union Ceremony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-03-09 04:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3236579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Femslash_writer/pseuds/Femslash_writer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Bonding for Peace
> 
> Chapter Rating: K
> 
> Fandom: The 100
> 
> Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
> 
> Prompt(s): Clarke is forced to marry Lexa in order to insure peace for the sky people and to save Finn.
> 
> Warning: Femslash, First Time
> 
> Beta: (none) all mistakes are my own
> 
> Summary: It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing I write is for profit. Everything I wrote is not meant to offend anyone.
> 
> Warning: Change from story: Clarke and Finn never had sex.

Lincoln looked around sadly at the gathered sky people. These were supposed to be the leaders, but none of them could come up with a solution to save Finn. They probably would never reach an answer on their own. He sighed; he would have to provide an answer for them. 

“There is a way.” Everyone in the room stopped talking and turned to him. He had been invited to the meeting only because of his knowledge of the grounders. Normally, he would never have been allowed to sit in on a council meeting. “You would have to unify the tribes through a offering of one of your own.”

Marcus looked at him disgusted, “You mean send someone to be slaughtered in his place?”

Lincoln shook his head. “No, I think your people would call it a marriage ceremony. We call it a bonding ceremony. Your leaders must offer someone to be bonded to my Commander. If she accepts then she has a right to chose anyone out of your village to keep as her own.” Lincoln looked around the group. His face was grave. “These ceremonies are very rare. Three times Lexa has been offered a bonding, and every time she has turned them down and slaughtered their people.”

“She will slaughter us all if she does not accept?” Abby asked appalled. She would not risk all her people’s lives to save Finn no matter how much her daughter and Raven cared for the young man.

“No, she will only kill the murderer, Finn. The other tribes had offended my people. Your tribe’s only sin is withholding a murderer from his rightful punishment.” 

Clarke, Bellamy, and Raven glared hard at Lincoln. They did not feel that Finn deserved to die for his actions. He had messed up big time, but it was not fair to ask a life for a life. Raven spoke her thoughts, “He does not deserve your savage’s-“

She was interrupted by Marcus who was now clinging to the only hope of peace his people might have. “A bonding ceremony? Will it guarantee us peace?”

Lincoln nodded his head. He doubted his commander would accept their offer, but he wanted to help because Octavia had asked him to. He felt that Finn should have to pay for his actions, but he kept these thoughts to himself. He was already on thin ice with the sky people and did not want to make it any worse.

“It will guarantee more than peace. Your people would be considered our people. We would protect you and in turn you would protect us. All the resources from here on out would be shared. All food, all weapons, and all soldiers will be expected to protect all.”

“What about Finn?” Clarke asked. A small part of her did not want to save him. He was not the same boy she had known. How could he have slaughtered all those people? There were women and children not just soldiers that had died because of him.

Lincoln scowled, as much as he didn’t want to save the boy, these people, including his girlfriend, did. “He will be spared if the bride of the Commander wishes it. The Commander is allowed to ask one wish of her bride and your people, and in turn, her bride is allowed to ask one thing of the Commander and my people.”

“Bride?” Marcus asked. In space they had been open to gay marriage. Times of great distress and boredom had brought many of their people around to the idea very quickly, especially because they did not have to worry about contraceptives. 

“Yes, a bride. Very few Commanders have taken a male as their bond mate, and I know that Lexa will not have a man warm her bed. Men are seen as inferior to women in my culture, and it would not do to have a pregnant Commander.”

“Won’t she want to continue her legacy?” asked Abby confused. She had thought of marrying the woman, Diana Sydney, on the Ark, but had decided her love for Jake outweighed her feelings for Diana. It had been a good decision seeing as Diana had betrayed them all. Though she would be lying if she said that several women had not warmed her bed many a times since his death. 

“No, the best trained females become the Commander, and the Commander never has children of her own. It is part of our rules. Our last Commander allowed a man to couple with her wife just for the sake of having a child, but it was a boy so he never was able to led. However, he was one of our best warriors until the Mountain Men took him.”

Everyone in the room looked at each other. There were only three females in the room. In total, the Sky People only twenty-two women from the Ark. Raven, Clarke, and Octavia were the only girls from the hundred that were not being held in Mount Weather. Most of the women would baulk at the idea of having to marry someone they considered inferior just to save Finn. 

“What if she picks someone that does not want to marry her?” asked Abby concerned about her daughter and Raven being selected for the task.

“Any pure woman from your village can be selected. If they don’t accept then it will be seen as an insult to our people and your village will be destroyed, assuming that you have someone that she is even interested in.” Lincoln did not see what the big deal was with these outsiders. It would be an honor to be selected by his Commander for a bonding.

Clarke very much doubted that there were many virgins left between the Ark and the Hundred. “The woman has to be a virgin?”

“Yes, but she will only accept those of who are of the bonding age. She would never take a child.”

Abby sighed this would be harder than it would have been to just give Finn to the grounders for slaughter. All the women that had come down on the Ark she knew were either married or too young. She looked at Raven and Clarke, she doubted either of them were still pure, but they were the only ones left. “No one in the Ark is eligible. Are either of you…have either of you…had sex?”

Raven’s cheeks colored lightly. She had had sex with Bellamy only two weeks ago, and before that she had had sex with Finn twice. It felt awkward to admit to Abby, a woman she almost thought of as a second mother. “Yes…I…I have.”

Clarke felt like vomiting. She was the only one left. Everyone’s eyes were on her. It was embarrassing that she now had to admit to both her mother and a room full of council members that she was the only female virgin left in camp. “I…well…no…I haven’t.”

Her mother let out an audible sound of surprise. “Oh Clarke?” 

“I thought you and Finn…” Raven let the rest of her statement hang in the air. She had assumed that Finn had cheated on her, but Finn and Clarke had only made out a little. Clarke was not the kind of girl to give it up without a form of commitment more than a necklace. 

“No…it wasn’t like that.” 

“You don’t have to do this honey.” Her mother’s voice was full of sorrow. It was clear that she did not want her daughter to have to marry the savage’s Commander. She had always imagined her marrying Jaha’s son, Wells. She had never imagined this scenario for her daughter, but she had never imagined a lot of things she found happening in her life, sending Clarke to the ground, getting her husband killed, watching Diana betray her.

Clarke looked around the people in the room, her eyes landing on Raven. It was clear that the older girl was still in love with Finn. She would never forgive them if Finn was made to pay for his crimes, but they needed her. They needed her skills as a mechanic to get into Mount Weather. They couldn’t afford to isolate her now. Clarke’s eyes moved to Lincoln. He had been silent most of the meeting except when spoken to. He had a hard face, barely recognizable now after being a reaper. They had been lucky to bring him back to life with the zapper. It had impressed the Commander, but not enough to save Finn. His face remained hard as stone as she looked at him. She knew that he wanted Finn dead as much as his people did. Could she trust him on this? She hoped so. “How do we start?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bonding for Peace  
> Chapter Rating: K  
> Fandom: The 100  
> Pairing: Clarke/Lexa  
> Prompt(s): none  
> Warning: Femslash, First Time  
> Beta: http://recognizeitforwhatitis-weakness.tumblr.com/  
> Summary: It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing I write is for profit. Everything I wrote is not meant to offend anyone.

Clarke took a deep breath. It had taken all her courage to once again seek out the Commander of the grounders. Lincoln had advised her in all she needed to know when asking for a bonding ceremony. Now it was up to her alone, no one came with her. The Commander would only accept her for an audience; none of the other sky people were allowed to talk to the grounders. Clarke looked at the two heavily armed guards at the tent door. She spoke with a conviction and strength she didn’t know she had, “I wish to speak with the Commander.”

One of the guards grunted before going in to ask the Commander whether she would receive Clarke, while the other stayed to watch over Clarke. She waited for a while before the guard returned. She took a step forward, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “She wishes to know why you have not brought the murderer with you.”

“I have something important to talk to her about,” Clarke could not understand why the Commander was being so difficult. They still had time before they had to hand Finn over to the grounders.

The guard went back into the tent while the other guard looked down at Clarke with a frown. It was clear that the dislike for her people had only grown since Finn had gone crazy on one of their villages.

Before she knew it, the guard was back. “She says come back when you have the boy.”

“But I must speak with her, it is important.” Her voice began to rise. She did not like how she was being treated.

“Come back when you have the boy,” the guard said again taking his original place in front of the tent.

“You don’t understand. I have-“

She was cut off by the guard’s gruff voice, “Bring the boy, and you can have your audience with the Commander.”

He had practically shouted it in her face. A few of the soldiers that had been sharping their weapons around the tent stopped to watch the scene unfolding. Clarke’s blood boiled. She wasn’t going to take this crap. She had come over here for a purpose, and she wouldn’t be leaving without talking to the Commander. She was the only hope for her people.

Clarke knew she couldn’t take either of the guards. Though, only one seemed to have a problem with her, the other stood idly by watching them. They were much stronger than her, but she needed him to understand the seriousness of the issue. Her whole life could change, her peoples life could change, all based on whether he let her into the Commander’s tent.

Clarke stood toe to toe with him; her face inches from his own. They glared at each other before Clarke spoke loudly in his face, “I need to see the commander…now!”

It wasn’t spoken in a scream; it was almost a whisper in fact, but everyone in the silent camp who was watching them could easily hear her words. A few shifted to get a better angle of the confrontation. Many wondered what the guard’s next move would be. Harming the girl without the Commander’s permission would mean a serious punishment, but doing nothing would make him seem weak.

He glared hard at the girl, “Go before I do something you will regret.” He could not afford to look weak in front of his clan.

No one knew that Lexa and Indra were listening intently to the argument going on outside the Commander’s tent. Indra had moved to intervene, but Lexa had stopped her. She wanted to hear how Clarke, Princess of the Sky People, handled herself when she was denied what she wanted. If it became too serious, she would rescue the princess, but for now she would wait.

Clarke stood her ground against the large brutish guard. “I am not leaving until I get a meeting with the Commander.” She made a move to side step him and enter the tent. He was quicker though and soon had her in the air. Instinct took over as her muscles remembered the fight with Anya. She landed a swift kick to his stomach, forcing him to drop her. He showed no other sign of his pain. He was enraged now. Clarke knew she was in for it, but his anger might be to her advantage. He would be more likely to make a mistake.

His large hand came around hitting Clarke across the face. The hit forced her to a fall to one knee. He had more strength behind his punches than Anya had. Her head swam as her vision blurred. None of the other grounders moved to help her. She looked up at the gloating man who towered over her. Her eyes trailed his body until they spotted newer wound on his leg that was still healing. She grabbed for it sticking both her thumbs hard into it like she had done to Anya.

He trashed kicking out with his pained leg, but Clarke didn’t let go until he had clumsily fallen over the tent pike. She quickly scrambled back up running to the tent. The other guard had been so shocked to stop her. Clarke ran in through the tent flap right into the Commander. Clarke started to topple but strong arms gripped her keeping her upright. Blue eyes met worried brown before the Sky Princess lost conscience.

\-- Two hours later --

Clarke awoke on a pile of furs. “What…happened?” Clarke’s vision was a little blurry but was quick to correct itself. She looked around. The only other person in the room was Lexa who had removed her war paint. She looked emotionless as ever, but her eyes betrayed her inner worry. She liked the Sky Princess; the girl would make a great leader someday. If something happened to Clarke, she doubted she would make the effort to remain peaceful with the sky people. They were too ignorant of Earth and their leaders were incompetent to peaceful negotiations.

“You lost consciences when you entered my tent The guard that did that to you will punished,” the older girl gestured to the dried blood and mud that coated half of Clarke’s face. “We waited until you could be present for the punishment.”

“He was just doing his job.” Clarke didn’t want to create any more animosity with the grounders. They would surely blame her for what had happened.

“He was ordered not to hurt any of you. He disobeyed my order, and for that he shall be punished.” She looked at Clarke curiously. “You beat my best guard.”

Clarke blushed. “I needed to talk with you.”

Lexa face did not change. She waited for Clarke to continue, but inside she worried that the girl had gone through all of this just to once again beg her to save Finn’s life. The Commander could do nothing for her. Her people would think her weak and they’d quickly overthrow her.

“I…I have a proposal,” Clarke sat up with some effort. Lexa made no move to help her. In her tribe, it would be seen as an insult to not allow Clarke to do it herself. “A bonding ceremony between your clan and mine.”

Lexa had not been expecting that. She momentarily let her face show the shock she felt. How could they expect her to marry some Sky person? They no doubt thought she would want a man such as Kane, but she would want a woman. “I do not want one of your men.”

Clarke looked away for a moment before making eye contact and whispering, “I know…Lincoln told us. I am the only that can marry you.”

Lexa looked at her confused. For a moment she looked like a regular girl before her Commander persona returned full force. “I have the right to choose anyone I want.” She was insulted that they only offered Clarke instead of the many women they also had.

Clarke blushed deepened. Lexa could not help but think it was a little adorable just like she would think of a baby squirrel. “Well…you…uh…want a virgin…” Clarke saw the questioning look on the Commanders face and changed her wording. “You want someone who is pure, yes?”

The Commander nodded and Clarke continued with a sigh. “I am the only girl in the Ark who is…still pure.”

The Commander blinked. She had not expected Clarke to say that, even if Lexa would want no one else from the village. They were all cowards, all of them but Clarke. She did not know what to say to the girl. She didn’t feel that her people would be particularly welcoming to this union, but it would be much more welcome than a peace treaty. She sat there for what seemed like forever thinking. Clarke stood straight without moving although she wanted to fidget in discomfort, but Lincoln had told her it would be a sign of weakness. “I am not pure.”

Clarke’s brow furrowed. Lincoln did not mention anything about this. “Does that matter?”

“Not for the bonding, but it might to you.” When she had taken up with Costia, both had been pure their first time. Their people valued female purity before all else in the first bonding. It was seen as a dishonor to bond with someone that wasn’t pure unless you were taking them as a pleasure slave. It would not do for her to take Clarke just as a pleasure slave. Clarke was very beautiful, and Lexa had felt a stirring in her loins the first time she had seen her.

Clarke was too valuable as a leader for the Commander to take her as a personal pleasure slave. If she did, the grounders would see this as an opportunity to take the other sky people for slaves. The sky people’s advanced weaponry would kill many of them if a war were started. Lexa needed as many men as possible to fight the reapers and Mountain men.

“No…I…I am doing this for my people.” Clarke did think that Lexa was esthetically pleasing, but she had never thought of any women that way. She had done what was expected, choosing to date Wells.

“I see…so you are doing it for the murderer Finn…you love him.” Lexa’s face turned dark. She did not like the idea of bonding with a woman who would never want her the way she wanted another. She would rather the boy die and the Sky people be slaughtered, than bond with a girl silly enough to love the murderer.

“No! No…no, not like that. I just…I need Raven to get us into Mount Weather, and well…she still loves him. She is essential. I am doing this for my people. Not for Finn.”

Lexa continued to look at her. She would make a good partner for her. They were both leaders. She, unlike Costia, would understand the demands of a leader. She could take care of herself as well as her people. “Yes, my people will not be pleased with your wish to save Finn.”

“What about our…bonding?”

“They will accept it when you show yourself as a leader. They will understand my choice and honor it.”

“So you…accept. Lincoln said it would take longer.” Clarke was perplexed. She had not realized that they had spent an hour talking and two hours before that had been spent with her passed out on the Commander’s bed.

“Lincoln does not know everything about me. No one does. You would be wise to remember that Sky Princess.” Not even Costia had known everything about her, and she doubted Clarke would ever either.

\--Back at Camp--

“Clarke, can I talk with you for a second?” Abby was worried about her daughter. She had just announced that Lexa had accepted her union. Everyone seemed grim, even Raven who they had expected to be elated had been solemn.

The girl nodded following her mother to the medical bay. They had not had a chance to talk alone since before Clarke had decided to go through with this crazy plan, but there was no going back now.

Clarke lifted herself to sit on the medical table while her mom sat in the only chair. They faced each other for a moment sitting in an uncomfortable silence until Abby spoke, "Clarke…it's different…marrying a woman."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Mom, I am not going back on this. Nothing you say will stop me."

A sad smile tugged at the corners of the doctor's lips. She knew that if her daughter bailed now, the grounders would destroy their whole society unless they could offer them something else. "Clarke, you don't know what they are capable of. You could get seriously hurt."

Clarke met her mother's eyes. They hadn't had a real conversation in a long time. The girl just wanted to get out of her as fast as she could. Bellamy was throwing her a bachelor party. It was supposed to start in an hour, but she wanted to get ready beforehand. He had wanted to keep it as much of a surprise as possible. She didn't know who was coming, but she kind of hopped Finn wouldn't. She couldn't stand to look at him. He reminded her only of the people he had killed when trying to find her. She almost wished they could kill him so she wouldn't have to worry about trying to avoid him.

"I know them better than you think." Clarke's mind thought of Anya. The woman had been killed by the sky people without a second thought. It could have easily have been her that they shot. In many ways the clans were the same, shoot first then ask questions later.

"Please Clarke, I can't lose you too." Clarke didn't look to meet her mother's eyes. She knew her mother was referring to losing Jake Griffin. It was still a sore subject between them.

"I have to do this."

"No, Clarke. We need this peace treaty not for you to marry Lexa. Maybe they won't kill Finn if we can get them to see reason." Her face was tight with conviction. She had obviously been thinking about this since Clarke had left to talk to Lexa.

Clarke had had enough. She was sick of always being treated like a kid by everyone, especially her mother. The only ones that ever respected her as an adult was Bellamy and the grounders. It was ridiculous that her own people couldn't recognize her leadership despite her age. She hopped off the table looking her mother square in the eyes. "Mom…I know what I am doing." Clarke said, even though she really had no clue what she was doing, but she was damn sure she'd figure it out.

**What do you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bonding for Peace
> 
> Chapter Rating: K
> 
> Fandom: The 100
> 
> Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
> 
> Prompt(s): none
> 
> Warning: Femslash, First Time
> 
> Beta: the most amazing wonderful fantabulous recongnizeitforwhatitis-weakness on tumblr
> 
> Summary: It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing I write is for profit. Everything I wrote is not meant to offend anyone.

Clarke rushed out of the medical bay wanting to get as far away from her mother as possible. She knew that her mom was just trying to help, but as always, Abby just didn’t know how to handle her daughter. The girl was way more grown up than she was willing to believe. Clarke was ready for this, ready to save her people by marrying Lexa. Her conviction would hold firm until she had a moment to herself to lament the fact that part of her freedom was being taken away. Things would be different with Lexa. She would no doubt expect Clarke to learn their ways. 

She hoped she was mentally prepared for what was to come. She knew there would be a lot of people looking to challenge her as the Commander’s partner, but she could only do so much. She was not trained to fight like the grounders. She could barely shoot a gun, let alone handle spears and knives. She wondered if Lexa would insist on having trained before they took Mount Weather. After all, that was the main reason behind this union. Well that and Finn, who had been mysteriously absent since the news of Clarke’s impending nuptials. 

Clarke sighed; she really hoped that he hadn’t gotten himself into any more trouble. She barely saved him this time. Next time, the grounders would bleed him dry before the sky people had any chance to stop them. 

The Sky Princess looked around the camp attempting to find Bellamy, not succeeding in the slightest. However, in the mechanics bay, she was able find Raven tinkering away with radio parts. “Hey, Raven.”

The dark haired girl looked up clearly startled. She had been so focused; she didn’t hear Clarke come in. She gave the girl a small smile before setting down her work. “Hey, is it time already?”

The girl gave her a questioning look. “You know, for your bachelor party. Bellamy said he’d send someone over to tell me when it started.” The crippled girl struggled to stand. She had taken off her leg brace. Clarke rushed over supporting the girl underneath one arm. Raven sighed. She hated being this weak.

“Uh…no. I was looking for Bellamy actually.” 

The mechanic gave her a sly smile before Clarke helped her back into a chair. “Nah, I’m guessing you wouldn’t find him around here. Too many people here would disapprove. The party is at the drop ship.”

The blonde smiled and thanked her. She turned to leave but the mechanic stopped here. “Mind if we talk a minute. The party won’t start till its dark.” She gestured to the window. It was not yet dusk, but it would be by the time she got to the drop ship. 

“Sure, what’s up?” She moved to sit across from her friend. 

Raven looked at Clarke for several moments. She had wanted to talk to the other girl ever since the council meeting. “I just… I just wanted to thank you. I know you’re not on good terms with Finn, but he really is a good guy.”

The younger girl swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She really didn’t want to talk about him, especially with Raven. She felt that he had betrayed them both in more ways than one. She could forgive him one day for lying to her about Raven, but she could never forgive him for killing eighteen innocent people. She just couldn’t. She felt that she would always see their corpses riddled with bullets ever time she looked at him. It had been a massacre that he committed in her name. He just wasn’t the carefree boy who had climbed out of hus seat when the drop ship was being sent to earth. 

“It’s not a big deal Raven. You’d have done it if you could have.” The blonde looked out the window again. She wanted to get to the party. She could really use a drink of whatever they had left from Monty’s homebrew. This was just not her day, hopefully a little alcohol to help calm her anxieties.

“But Clarke, it’s not me saving him, it’s you. I know its not easy, but…Its just…I really appreciate it…you know?” Raven wasn’t the best at expressing herself, but she hoped that the younger girl understood how grateful she was.

She gave her a tight smile before standing. “Don’t mention it. You want to walk to the party together?”

The mechanic shook her head. “Nah, I’m going to wait for Wick. See yah there.”

The Sky Princess nodded in acknowledgment before leaving the ship. She was happy to be away from the people of the Ark for a night. They weren’t anything like the 100. They still felt that if they did anything wrong, they would end up on the wrong side of an air lock. They had been so afraid of being blasted into space before that it was hard to break them of their ways. Clarke thought some of them still feared that the Ark would put them to death if they set a toe out of line, but it was different under her mom’s command. At least she hoped Abby was doing a good job. She would most likely be living with the grounders now. The safety of the sky people was in her mother’s hands now. It probably wasn’t the best idea, but you had to do what you had to do. Bellamy would help her, as would Kane. Maybe even Jaha would come around. They didn’t need him as an enemy right now.

Taking a short trip to her tent, the blonde got her a jacket and a flashlight. It often got cold at night, even if it was incredibly warm during the day. It was one of the strange things about Earth. The climate could vary at any moment. She remembered her biology lessons saying Earth had a pretty stable climate, but Wells had told her that the nuclear war had changed much of Earth’s patterns. Much of what they had been taught was now wrong. Only the grounders knew how Earth truly worked. If they worked together, then the Sky People had a chance to survive. Without them, they probably wouldn’t make it past winter. Lexa had hinted that the nights would soon get worse and day would turn to night much sooner. 

She paid little heed to her surroundings. She knew the path to the drop ship well enough. Instead, she let her mind wonder to more important topics like her betrothed. In less than a fortnight, they would be married. Then she would have a whole new set of duties thrust upon her. She just hoped she could continue to help Bellamy lead what was left of the hundred. Her mother was officially the chancellor, but she knew even less about the world than they did. She often used her lack of knowledge as an excuse not to do things. The woman wouldn’t make a good leader, if she wasn’t willing to take risks. Clarke and Bellamy had realized that early on. Even if some of their plans hadn’t worked out and ended in death, they were still better suited for leadership. They weren’t still bound by Ark living. They had adapted and moved on from the totalitarian rule. 

Clarke thought of Lexa. The girl was barely older then she was, but she was able to lead four times the people. She had many good qualities, but it was clear that something had hardened her to life. The sky girl wondered if the grounder would ever be able to open up to her. She doubted it. Grounder warriors were able to protect the tribe because they focused on the pain of the tribe in lieu of their own emotions. They were a strong people, but had many ways they could grow. They could soften a little, while the sky people would have to harden some. 

As she thought upon this matter, she didn’t hear someone coming up behind her until she felt a blade being pressed against her throat. She didn’t dare move afraid of being cut in the process. As fast as the metal had touched her neck it was gone. She spun wondering who her mysterious attacker had been. She was more than surprised to see the girl she would be bonded to tomorrow. 

“You were distracted. I could have killed you.” There was no emotion in her voice, and her face showed no signs of softness. It was all business with her. 

“Yah, I was just thinking. Sorry, but you wouldn’t have killed me anyway.” The younger girl was slightly annoyed that her quiet walk had been interrupted. She felt a little awkward that the Commander had probably been watching her for a while.

Lexa gave her a forced smile. A part of her burned inside at the thought of losing another lover to the cruel hands of fate. It had been hard losing Costia. A part of her never recovered. “Not today, Sky Princess.”

“What are you doing out here anyway?” She wondered if the older girl had been watching her since she left camp. She wouldn’t past her.

“The boy, the one who leads in your absence but weakened by love, invited me. I believe you call him Ballomedy.” Risking his own life, he had come to the grounder camp to speak with the Commander. When he had first told her about the party, she had been slightly dismayed by their lack of foresight. A celebration, the night before their bonding ceremony, was not a wise move. Her people would not appreciate a bunch of hung-over teens at such an important ceremony. This was the first ceremony for melding of clans in over a hundred winters. 

The boy had explained to her that it was really important to their people. It was part of their traditions. Lexa had begrudgingly agreed to come. It was important that she be there both to take part and monitor the activities. She wanted to show her betrothed that she was willing to learn her culture. As well as be there to watch over the girl. She worried that an intoxicated teen might do something stupid and end up harming her bonded. She might even be able to speak with the blonde during the party. It would be nice to have a word with her before the ceremony tomorrow. There would be no time to talk before then. Her people would be watching them closely for any serious conversation.

“His name is Bellamy, and he is a very good leader.” She continued walking towards the party; the Commander followed closely beside her. She wondered if she felt safer or more of a target with the other woman with her. “He has saved me more than once.”

“He cares for you.” It was not an accusation, just a statement of a simple fact. It didn’t sound like this bothered the Commander, but Clarke couldn’t be sure. The girl did not share her true feelings very often if ever. It would be hard to communicate in the future if she could not start to read her better. 

“And I for him. He is a good man, Lexa.” It was true. Bellamy was one of the few good leaders that the sky people ever produced. Without him, the blonde would never have been able to lead the 100 in the beginning. He could command their attention and respect like no other. 

“He cares for you. He cares for many,” Lexa’s scanned Clarke wondering what her reaction to her next words would be. “Caring will destroy him.”

“What?” The grounder was always so cryptic and mysterious with her words. It gave the sky girl a headache just trying to figure out what she actually meant. 

“Caring, especially loving, is weakness.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bonding for Peace
> 
> Chapter Rating: K
> 
> Fandom: The 100
> 
> Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
> 
> Prompt(s): none
> 
> Warning: Femslash, First Time
> 
> Beta: the most amazing wonderful fantabulous recongnizeitforwhatitis-weakness on tumblr
> 
> Summary: It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing I write is for profit. Everything I wrote is not meant to offend anyone.

Lexa watched as Clarke laughed at something stupid Wick said. The girl was handling herself well at the gathering. She had forgone binge drinking as many of her comrades were attempting. Instead, the girl had only taken a few sips of the foul liquid before promptly giving it to someone else. She had decided that she wanted to keep her wits about her. 

The Commander sat by herself on a fallen log a few feet from the drop ship, her eyes always scanning the surroundings for danger. She had sent her warriors into the woods, but there was always a chance of a reaper slipping through. They were trained as well as any of her warriors and twice as brutal. She wondered how the sky girl and her mother had brought Lincoln back from the dead. She doubted her people understood the complexity behind it. The traitor had just died. Clarke could never bring someone back from the dead who had been long gone, but the whispers remained. Many called her the angel of death. Lexa did nothing to dispel the rumors. It would be best if they feared her wife. There would be less challenge to the union in the future if they thought the girl had magical powers. 

Bellamy had wandered over to her earlier, but she had declined his offer to join in the celebrations. She had no desire to drink with the young people. In fact, she shouldn’t even be there. She was nothing like them. They still retained their youth, whereas hers had been lost many harvests ago before she became Anya’s second. She had no time to act the fool when she commanded thousands of people who depended on her every decision. 

She had thought of leaving, but something in her gut told her to stay. Clarke might need her even if the she hadn’t spoken to her since they arrived at the drop ship. She got the feeling that the girl had not appreciated her saying that love was weakness. She had wondered if the Sky Princess had feelings for her, but she seriously doubted that A part of her, which burned with suspicion and something that felt a lot like jealousy, still believed that the girl was in love with Finn. Anya had once sent word that the way to Clarke was through him. 

Her musings were interrupted when her betrothed plopped down exhausted next to her. The girl held the last bottle of Monty’s homebrew. It had yet to be opened. 

“You appeared to be enjoying yourself.” It was an observation. Lexa often spoke in this manner. Instead of asking questions, she made statements on what she saw and waited for the other person to offer further information. 

They sky girl knew the Commander wanted some form of talk, but she just grunted. If she wanted to talk then she was going to have to work harder. Clarke wasn’t going to let her treat her like she did the others, at least not tonight. She felt bold from the few sips of alcohol she had had. 

When it became clear that she was going to get no further response from the sky girl she asked, “Is this how you celebrated things in the sky?”

Clarke face constricted a little. She didn’t want to talk about the past. Her memories of the Ark were not happy ones. She had spent a good portion of her time locked up in solitary away from any sort of celebration. Her mother had been allowed to see her every six months, but that had felt like forever. The only thing that kept her sane was drawing. 

“I don’t know. We didn’t have this,” she gestured to the bottle in her hand. “It was illegal. Adult’s celebrations were very…subdued. The kids would have dances, but even those could be considered tame.” She paused again thinking over her next words carefully. “My father told me that teenagers before the war used to rebel against their parents going out at night to drink and do drugs.”

The Commander nodded. She could see that something had bothered the girl when she talked about her father. Lexa had very little memory of her own parents. She had been taken from them at a very young age to become Anya’s second. She was being prepped to take the current Commander’s soul into her body when the leader died. There had been other girls that were trained for the same purpose, but they had not been strong enough. The deceased Commander’s soul had chosen her. 

Anya had been like her. A possibility for the Commander’s soul, but she had also not been strong enough. Lexa wondered if the way she felt for her old trainer was the same as Clarke felt for her father. “You’re father, he did not make it down from the sky.”

The younger girl’s shoulders hunched. She should have known that coming over to talk with the Commander was not been a good idea. She sighed. “No, the chancellor killed him.”

“Your mother?” She had heard several sky people call Abby, chancellor. It seemed to be a title of honor. She had guessed it was supposed to be the title for a Commander in the sky people’s world, but she could not understand why it was not then given to Clarke. It was clear that the girl was the leader of the people.

“No, Jaha. He was chancellor then. He was my father’s friend.”

“Leaders must make tough decisions, Clarke.” She offered no comfort. It was not her place. Her people did not question her commands. Even if she had met with the weak man known as Jaha once, it was not her place to questions his decisions.

The Sky Princess’s nostrils flared. Her hands balled into fists. How dare the know-it-all leader choose this moment to lecture on leadership? “My father was trying to save our people, and he was killed for it.”

“Then he should have challenged him for the title of Chancellor. It is not the place of those without power to questions those with power.” Lexa could sense her companion’s growing anger, but did not change her words. She knew that the girl and her would butt heads on many things. It would be better to have this argument now when her people were not around to hear the girl’s defiance. 

“You don’t get it-“ She moved to stand. She was sick of being treated like she was ignorant in the ways of leadership. She was about to walk away when a voice called out her name across the camp. She turned and apprehension flooded her as she looked at a very unstable looking Finn.

“Clarke! Clarke! You have to come with me.” He began to stumble over to where she stood. The sky girl felt a hand being placed on her lower back for a moment before Lexa moved to stand so her body partially blocked the young man from her soon-to-be lover.

Everyone’s eyes were on Finn, except for Bellamy’s who was watching the almost imperceptible movement of Lexa’s left hand as it moved closer to the dagger on her hip. The grounder wanted to slice the throat of the boy who had killed so many of her people, but she held off waiting for him to attack first. She would not have Clarke blame her for an unjustified death. 

“Clarke,” he stumbled over his own two feet. It was only obvious to the Commander that the boy had eaten some Moca berries. They were strictly forbidden in the Woods Clan. They had once caused several warriors to hallucinate. They had believed their village was full of terrible monsters. The three men had slaughtered an entire village before they came to their sense. Lexa had attended their death. She had watched as the warriors of the family’s plunged dagger after dagger into their flesh. One wound for every villager lost. 

Finn’s eyes were dark. The pupil covered the brown of the iris. His skin stuck to his sweaty skin. Clarke’s mother had once had a detox patient like him. The sky girl recognized the signs of being on drugs. She hoped he had not done anymore harm. She doubted Lexa would forgive him for his sins twice.

“We can be together.” He moved closer to the women before tripping over a fallen tree branch. His goofy smiled now looked deranged. “Let’s go to the cellar. If we do it, then Lexa can’t marry you. Then you’ll be all mine.”

The grounder scowled. She did not like what she heard. If he attempted to touch her betrothed, she would gut him. Clarke made to move to help him up, but Lexa’s would not let the girl pass her. She whispered, “He is too dangerous.”

“Its just Finn.” She tried to pass the older girl again only to be pushed back behind her more forcefully. “He won’t harm me.”

“I will take care of it.” Lexa moved closer to the fallen boy. Clarke’s heart pounded as she saw the grounder pull the dagger from its sheath. 

“Lexa, no!”


	5. To Kill or Not to Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa makes the decision whether or not to kill Finn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bonding for Peace
> 
> Chapter Rating: K
> 
> Fandom: The 100
> 
> Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
> 
> Prompt(s): none
> 
> Warning: Femslash, First Time
> 
> Beta: the most amazing wonderful fantabulous recognizeitforwhatitis-weakness on tumblr
> 
> Summary: It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing I write is for profit. Everything I wrote is not meant to offend anyone.

“Stay where you are, Sky Princess,” whispered the Commander as she moved closer to the fallen boy. His eyes were more black than white, his pupil swallowed the rest of his eye. His breathing was heavy like he wasn’t receiving enough oxygen for his brain to function properly. The grounder knew that the boy was capable of things that his people did not yet realize. His muscles were stronger with the powerful opiate that ran through his veins. “I will not allow harm to come to you or your people.”

Clarke tilted on the balls of her feet for a moment. She wasn’t sure if she should listen to her bride-to-be. She was marrying the grounder to save Finn. If Lexa killed him now, the deal would be off. She could never marry her if she watched her to take the life of her once friend. “Lexa…please don’t.”

The Commander’s jaw twitched. The sorrow in her the girl’s voice tugged at her remaining heartstrings. She did not want to do anything that would cause her unioned such anguish. A part of her wished to kill the boy and be done with it, but the girl would never forgive her. Their union would be an unhappy one if she killed him. She switched the dagger to her non-dominate hand giving him. She would not use her left-hand to kill him unless she had to. “Your heart shall not feel the pain of his death… not today.”

Lexa’s movements were quick unlike those of Finn whose clumsiness still existed even with the opiates speeding through his system. She was on top of the boy before he could get up. The sky girl started to move forward not trusting the older girl’s words, but Bellamy grabbed her arm keeping her in place. As soon as Lexa had moved so had he to insure that Clarke didn’t do anything stupid. He, unlike the Sky Princess, believed the grounders words. He had a feeling that she had taken a liking to Clarke even if she didn’t show it. Even if he was wrong about her feelings, she still needed the Sky Princess for any alliance with the Ark. Only with them could she free her people from Mount Weather. He knew whatever feelings spurred her actions; she would never do something to cause the younger girl harm emotionally or physically. 

His eyes sparkled with unrestrained anger. “You’re the one! You’re taking her from me!” His arms slashed out grabbing onto the smaller woman. A few hits landed hard on her. Nothing was broken, but she would definitely feel the pain in the morning. 

Every instinct inside of her screamed to kill the murderer, but she fought it. Clarke would be displeased with her. She would not anger her betrothed. She had made that mistake with Costia once, killing one of her friends. Things had never been the same between the two. The anger that grew within her unioned made her sloppy and careless, and those mistakes cost her her life. The Ice Nation easily took her when she was out walking alone. She had been foolish and paid for it. The sky girl could not afford to become sloppy with anger. Lexa told herself she was doing this to save the girl’s life as well as the people in the mountain, but something continued to nag in the back of her head. She pushed it away knowing she had a job to do. She had to neutralize the threat before he hurt anyone of the sky people.

One quick move of her fist against his face would have been enough to knock out any man, but Finn was a beast. Lexa’s fist landed in quick success against his skull. All the while, the boy kept punching and grabbing at the Commander. She might have heard her unioned cry out for her, but tunnel vision and hearing had taken over. She was in full on warrior mode. 

The boy was harder to bring down than she had thought. It took eight lighter hits to skull for him to be fully knocked out. The blade in her left hand had not drawn blood. She had brought it out as a precaution and put it away clean. Her people would not have viewed her actions with kind eyes. If a member of the Tree Clan pulled a weapon, they expected it to be dripping in crimson when it was put away. 

She began to stand on shaky legs. As part of the Tree Clan, she is expected, just like everyone else, to get up on their own after a fight or not to get up at all. But Clarke didn’t know the rules of combat. She was too loving and caring. She was at her bride’s side holding her steady, as soon as Finn was down for the count. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she hissed helping the Commander to reach her feet. 

“I am not weak,” she muttered trying to free herself from the girl’s strong grip.

“Let me help you, no one will judge you here.” The Commander had blood dripping down her face. No one had attempted to intervene in the fight. Everyone had been too drunk or too afraid to help. Bellamy was the only other sober one, but he had been too busy holding the Sky Princess back.

The Commander was too much of a mess to travel back to camp tonight. Clarke sighed heavily. “Bellamy, can you take Finn into the drop ship? I need to take care of Lexa’s wounds.”

“Sure, Princess.” He was a bit shaken from the fight, but he was still strong enough to lift the boy fireman style onto his shoulders. He would do anything the girl asked him. At this point, she was as much a little sister to him as Octavia was.

Clarke’s hands worriedly ran down her face checking the wound. The Commander tried to turn her head away from prying hands, but only earned herself a firmer grip on her face. “I am fine.”

“You are not fine.” Hands felt deep several deep cuts on her future lover’s face. “These are going to need medical attention. My mom can-”

“No” Lexa did not want to go back to camp looking like she did. Her people could not see her weakness. “You do it.”

The younger girl’s mind reeled; she really didn’t want to treat the grounder’s wounds. She wasn’t as capable as her mother, but something in the other girl’s voice told her that she was not going to be persuaded back to camp. It was better she receive some form of treatment than none at all. 

“I need to clean your wound.” There was no telling where Finn’s hands had been. If she left them till morning then they might become septic. 

“Not here.” The Commander’s voice was steel. She knew she needed to be healed and conceded to be weak, but only in front of her soon-to-be unioned. 

“There is no where else.” 

“The river…it’s not far.” Lexa untangled herself from the girl’s steadying hold. She would make it on her own feet not by the help of another. At first she stumbled and wobbled, but she quickly righted herself, shoving away the helping hands offered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bonding for Peace
> 
> Chapter Rating: T
> 
> Fandom: The 100
> 
> Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
> 
> Prompt(s): none
> 
> Warning: Femslash, First Time
> 
> Beta: Best Ever recognizeitforwhatitis-weakness on tumblr
> 
> Summary: It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing I write is for profit. Everything I wrote is not meant to offend anyone.

“No…” Her words were harsh between gritted teeth. It would not do to have the girl of a weaker clan helping her. Clarke believed that they were alone, but many of Lexa’s people were patrolling the area. She had seen a couple hiding in the woods watching for her signal. She shook her head subtly. The Sky Princess was not even aware of their presence, and she planned to keep it that way. The guards went back to their posts, but the Commander was sure their eyes lingered longer than their bodies. “We shall reach the river soon, Clarke.”

The sky girl walked as close as she could to the other, offering the comfort of support when she could physically not. Even though the river was less than a mile away, Clarke felt as though it could have been a hundred miles. She struggled with her own emotions as she watched Lexa stumble along refusing any help. She bit her tongue and did not speak any of the scathing comments that willed themselves to come out. 

Finally reaching the riverbed, Lexa used the last of her strength to gracefully as possible plop down onto a fallen tree. She was exhausted. It felt as though all her strength had been sapped from her like from the drugged darts the Mountain Men carried. Her limbs had never felt this heavy. Walks to the medi-tent were much shorter than the one she had just trudged. Normally, long journeys when injured were always done by horse, but that had not been an option. She would not seem weak in front of her men, and certainly not in front of betrothed. 

Clarke immediately knelt in front of her soon-to-be lover. Her insides clinched seeing the amount of blood that collected. It had continued to trickle down the Commander’s face. She sighed knowing there wasn’t much she could do besides clean the wounds. All of her tools were back at Camp Jaha. “I need to clean your wounds. Water would be best…I brought some alcohol but that was only to help you with the pain. If I put it on your wounds, it will delay healing.”

Lexa’s eyes were closed as she focused on her breathing. The pain was intense, but not the worst she had ever felt. The blood lose was making her head feel light. If Clarke asked her anything at this point, the Commander would be weak to resist. Her mind was not the powerful fortress her people knew it to be. As the blood had flowed out so did the strong walls that protected her every word. 

The sky girl began to worry that the girl had lost more blood than she realized. If she fell asleep now, there would be no way for Clarke to carry her back to camp. “Lexa…Lexa…I need to move you closer to the water so I can wash your-“

Clarke stopped her speech when the Commander of the Twelve Clans began to remove her top. Despite the complicated nature of the strings holding her top together, a few flicks of her wrist and the shirt was over her head before the sky girl could form a complete sentence. A cloth wrapped around them again and again kept the darker haired girl’s breasts close to her body. It was ideal for fighting. 

The Commander was the epitome of perfection. The sky girl was pleased to see that the olive skin was even throughout. Her skin tone came natural, not an inch of it needed to be kissed by the sun for color. She made a mental note to ask about the binding around Lexa’s breasts. It was surely the reason that many of the women warriors had small breast. Her eyes roamed further down greedily. She wasn’t surprised to see the toned abs without an inch of fat. Her mouth salivated with the thought of being able to lick such deliciousness. 

A part of her was confused. She had never had feelings for another girl before. She wasn’t gay, but the warmth in the pit of her abdomen and butterflies in her belly said otherwise. She desired the older girl more than she had ever desired another. She had liked Finn, but it was a fondness. There was never this overwhelming need. 

Lexa smirked at the younger girl despite her tiredness when she noticed the lust coloring her eyes and cheeks. “Do not worry. You will get a fuller view tomorrow.” She tugged the last string holding up her pants, which immediately pooled around her ankles. 

“You don’t have to take off your clothes,” she said, but her brain was screaming anything but. It wanted more flesh and less clothing. She didn’t notice it at the time, but later her lover would tell her the silky tone that her voice carried. 

Lexa smirked at her companion. “We will have to walk back sometime, and I will not be doing it in wet clothing.” She turned around not looking back at her future bride as she immersed herself in the river. It wasn’t too deep near the shore but enough to cover the Commander’s waist when she sat on the pebbled sand of the river.

The Sky Princess shook her head trying to clear the jelly that was now her brain. She didn’t understand what was happening to her body and the new feelings that were flooding her every nerve ending, but she shook it off the best she could. She put on her best doctor face, which failed miserably as it looked more like a grimace than the calm features she had hoped for.

She began to walk towards the water when Lexa’s voice stopped her. “Take off your clothes, sky girl.” She noticed the hesitation and softened her tone to almost a whisper. “Tomorrow we shall be lovers. Modesty has no place between us.”

Clarke’s cheeks darkened realizing that she would be losing her virginity to tomorrow. Lexa was so much more experienced than her. Thoughts of being inadequate began to swirl in her head. She had not been able to pleasure herself in so long that she doubted she would even know where to begin. In confinement someone was always watching her and then on Earth, she was constantly on guard. It would be strange to have a moment to relax, even if it was with the other girl.

A frown formed on her lips when the younger girl turned around to undress. Her skin was paler than those of the grounders. It remained unmarked. Not having any mark by her age was unheard of among her people. The Commander wondered what it would be like to mark that flesh for the first time as her own. She could feel the heat between her legs. She had not initially been eager to take the girl, but over the last two days a part of her had grown fonder of the girl. It felt less and less like she was betraying Costia, and more like she was honoring her by moving on. 

The sky girl hoped that the sun that was now warming her skin would be enough to cover the blush that now adorned her skin. She was glad she had worn her nicer pair of panties and bra. She had Finn had found some clothes in the storm shelter. It had been pure bliss to have a change of clothes. The bra fit her perfectly, but the underwear was a bit tight and showed her ass. Lexa was undoubtedly enjoying the view. 

With a deep breath, she turned around. Her arms were covering her bra-clad chest. Lexa’s eyes were hooded with exhaustion, but her lips found the energy to tilt into a sly smile. “Are all sky people so modest?”

“Yes.” was her stiff response as the cool liquid formed goose bumps on her skin.

“What a shame.”

Clarke glared at the girl. It was obvious that she had chosen a spot in the river that was not deep enough to cover her breasts when she sat down. Eventually, the Sky Princess would have to show the Commander her lace-covered breasts. In her stubbornness she refused to uncover her chest until the last moment when she had already sat in the river and begun to wash Lexa’s wounds. 

The older girl eyes immediately went to the supple chest. Her people did not have such full breasts until a babe was attached to them. It was a rarity to have such large swells at such a young age. She wondered if the garment the sky girl wore helped them grow so big. It did much more for the eye than her own bindings. Her mouth salivated with thoughts of sucking the virgin skin, but her joy was short lived. Clarke tilted her head in such a way that she was no longer able to enjoy the view. She made a noise in the back of her throat in protest.

“I need to clean your wounds,” Clarke brought her skilled hands up slowly washing the cuts clear of the dried blood. A few new drops leaked out, but she wiped them as soon as they came.

“Mhmmm,” the smile twitched despite the pain. “I shall trust your wisdom as a healer” She waited a beat before continuing in her comment. “…this time.”

Clarke swallowed hard. She knew she had been caught in her true motives, but ignored her. She continued about her work. She noticed the girl barely contained a flinch when the healer’s hands reached a particularly deep cut at her hairline. “Are you alright?”

The Commander nodded. Her eyes were shut tight. Clarke took her word at face value believing that she could handle the pain, but as soon as she touched the cut again the girl jumped. “Are you su-“

“Tell me about the sky…just…tell me how you grew…life before the ground.” 

Clarke knew the older girl was looking for a distraction. She didn’t understand why. She was sure that the warrior had had worse battle wounds, but she obliged her nonetheless as her hands continued their work.

“It was…different. Everything was stale…the air, the food, the people. Everything was. There was no life besides us. We didn’t have any pets. At first, people did on the Ark. At least, my father said so. He said that his great grandfather had a cat. All the pets were fixed. They-“

“Fixed?”

“They couldn’t have babies.” Clarke concentrated on the bits of dirt that had gotten deep into the wound as she spoke knowing that this would be the most painful part. “My father told me stories. I always wanted a kitten. I checked out every book in the library that had pictures of cats. Wells even convinced his dad to give me the book for my eighth birthday.... he was really sweet like that.” She went quiet for a moment remembering how he was killed. He had come down to be with her, but she had only ever loved him as a friend. She knew he felt something more for her. Her mother and father had often joked about her marrying him. None of the other boys even caught her eye on the Ark. Many of the kids pair up at a young age. For a while she had resigned herself to that fate; it was better than being a spinster. 

“He meant a lot to you.” It was an observation rather a question. She could tell by the way the younger girl spoke about him that he was special. She could only hope that he was not a threat to their relationship. If he were still in the Mountain then she would have to let him know that her bride was off limits. She had dealt with many potential suitors of Costia before she became Commander. 

“He did. He was my best friend.” She paused considering her words. She had finished cleaning the girl’s cuts and her hands now rested by her sides not bothering to cover herself up. “He was murdered by a little girl. It was…it was very hard losing him.”

The Commander said nothing but nodded her head. She did not offer any words of comfort. They would not be welcome from her. She had already told Clarke that love was weakness. A reminder of this would not be met with kindness. 

They just sat there for a moment before Lexa broke the silence. “I lost someone special to me, too.” Clarke head turned looking at the other girl. She had not expected this from the warrior. If anything she expected coldness. “Her name was Costia. She was captured by the Ice Nation… their Queen believed she knew my secrets. Because she was mine…they tortured her, killed her, cut off her head.”

Clarke knew she shouldn’t, but she let her emotions guide her through the water until she was holding the older girl close in a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry.”

She let the girl hold her. It was nice to feel another skin so close in such an intimate way. It had been a very long time since she had felt like this. Though had she not already known they were not being watched, she would not have allowed the contact. “I thought I’d never get over the pain, but I did.”

“How?” she whispered barely loud enough for Lexa to hear her.

“By recognizing it for what it is—weakness.”

“Loving her was not weakness.” Clarke didn’t understand how the older girl could be so cold, especially in love. In the back of her mind, she began to feel uncertain about their union. Being with someone who could never learn to love you did not sound like a marriage she wanted. 

“It was.” She turned in her arms so they were facing. Something in her eyes was haunted. There was a pain there that could never be erased, not fully anyway. “It is why I can never love you.”

Something inside Clarke broke, she felt her pain constrict and her breathing fail her for a moment. She pulled away from the girl so they were no longer touching. “I am not Costia.”

“No, but you can disappoint just as easily.”

“Why are you marrying me, then?” hurt dripped from every word.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bonding for Peace
> 
> Chapter Rating: T
> 
> Fandom: The 100
> 
> Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
> 
> Prompt(s): none
> 
> Warning: Femslash, First Time
> 
> Beta: My wonderful new beta... nally53095 on tumblr
> 
> Summary: It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing I write is for profit. Everything I wrote is not meant to offend anyone.

Clarke’s body moved through the water trying to create as much distance between her and her fiancée as possible. Her heart beat hard against her ribs as if it could free itself by shear force. A tightening not all together unfamiliar to the Sky Girl, pulled the air from her lungs causing her breath to come in quick short pants. Her vision swam in dark swirls of color and little lights as air became apparently lacking.

Logically, she knew it was a panic attack. She felt alone and cold. Sinking further into the darkness at the edge of her vision, she felt unconsciousness tug at her. 

Lexa had experienced this many times with Costia. It was not easy being the partner of the Commander. The girl was constantly fraught with worry. It seemed as though anytime she had to leave for battle, the younger girl would sink into a panic attack.

Only once had she herself experienced the icy grip of a panic attack when her love died. Anya had been there to sooth it away into something more manageable. She knew for a leader to be out of control of her own body was one of the worst feelings. Her only hope was that the blonde could be calmed through her presence.

The Commander moved with precision. One arm fixed tightly around Clarke’s wrist keeping her from moving further away or sinking into the water. The other hand held the back of her head trying to get panicking eyes to meet hers. “Clarke kom Skaikru, listen to my words. You must fight this.”

The blonde barely heard the words. She felt her legs go out from under her, but for some reason she did not sink further into the water. Her mind didn’t register the hand on her arm or the thin fingers scraping against her scalp.

“I have seen your strength, you must come back to me.” Her words held a measure of alarm. She shook the girl hoping to bring her back to this world. Words had never calmed her Costia either. Words were empty to a lost mind. Only physical contact met with any results.

Her arms grew weak holding the panicking girl up. She could only do one thing; fear clutched at her chest not knowing the reaction she would receive. Full lips met plump worried ones. At first, the sky girl did not respond, but the Commander pressed on. Her mind registered a pert breast pressed between hers. A whimper of want fell from her parted lips just as the other girl’s body began to respond.

Slowly the world came back to Clarke, she startled back realizing her lips and part of her body was pressed against the older girl.

Lexa let her go at the first attempt to depart their current situation. The girl fell into the water without her support. A smile wanted to play on the Commander’s lips at the sight of the clumsy sky girl splashing in the water, but sadness reined her heart. She had enjoyed being close to another after so long, but the girl did not seem to hold it in such a high regard. “I am sorry. I have offended you.”

Clarke shook her wet hair out of her face. A deep rose shade painted her cheeks. “I…no, I…appreciate your help.”

The Commander’s heart lifted. There might be a chance after all for their union to be a happy one. “You appreciate it?”

“Yes, it wasn’t…altogether unpleasant.” The blush grew on her cheeks as the smile on the other girl’s face grew.

“I should hope not.” With a newfound feeling of lightness, she could not help but tease her betrothed. “However, I shall endeavor to do much better tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Clarke’s voice squeaked much to her displeasure.

“Have you forgotten our union already, sky girl?” Her lips pursed in effort to hide a smile that would surely shatter the game she was playing. “I am the Commander, I shall do more than give my houmon something that is ‘not altogether unpleasant’.”

The sky girl sighed. She should have known that the Commander would not let her off the hook so easily. A part of her was frustrated that she had not been completely present for their first moment of intimacy, but a greater part of her felt a strange rush arousal she had not experienced with Finn. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to take the other girl’s lips in her own. She fought the desire knowing that she wasn’t ready, even if they would be doing a lot more than kissing tomorrow.

“It was very pleasant, alright? Can we move on, now?”

The Commander let her smile show. Clarke did not understand how one-second the older girl was she seemed more coldhearted than Jaha as he floated her father, and the next she was like any other young woman. It was a major head-trip, but the sky girl was determined to figure out the puzzle that was Lexa.

“I will not frustrate you anymore, Clarke. There will be much time for that tomorrow.”

The blonde thought she heard a sexual reference in her words, but ignored it. She would not give her the satisfaction with a response. She would just twist her words around on her as usual. “Let’s get back to camp.”

“Yes, I am sure Indra has many ideas as to why we are lingering.” The Commander moved past her and out of the water to where her clothes lay. She could feel the other girl’s eyes glued to her every movement. A small sense of satisfaction trickled through her down onto the growing flame between her legs.

A sexually frustrated Commander was a dangerous thing. Luckily for the Tree People, they would only have to deal with her like this for another day. Clarke would be satisfying Lexa’s needs as well as her own before nightfall on the morrow.

Her smooth firm arse wiggled in the moon light under the younger girl’s gaze. The Sky Princess could have sworn that she could feel her heart thudding in her lower regions. Her body was on fire with a strange desire. She had never thought of Lexa this way. Perhaps it was the kiss or her sweet smile that had caused her heart to feel something besides indifference and angry frustration towards the Commander. The frustration she felt now was quite different. A strangled groan struggled past her lips much to the other girl’s pleasure.

She watched as Lexa pulled her pants on forgoing the underwear she used to dry several parts of her body. She turned topless giving Clarke an eyeful. “Are you going to join me, or is the water your new dwelling?”

Clarke’s voice was deeper than she intended as she responded. “I am good here.”

**Sorry It has been so long.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Bonding for Peace
> 
> Chapter Rating: T
> 
> Fandom: The 100
> 
> Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
> 
> Prompt(s): none
> 
> Warning: Femslash, First Time
> 
> Beta: nally53095.tumblr.com (she’s a great gal. She is one of my best pals. Check out that shit!)
> 
> Summary: It is time to make peace between the grounders and sky people. Only a bonding ceremony can make lasting peace. (Lexa/Clarke)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing I write is for profit. Everything I wrote is not meant to offend anyone.

Clarke’s body felt hot and sticky. She wondered why she had thought it was a good idea to wear her clothes again. The walk back to the grounder camp had been long and miserable, but they were almost there now. The Sky Princess could hear the crackling of the fire and the heated whispers of Indra and Jakob close by. Her body longed to remove her clothes and sleep long into the next day, but it seemed this wasn’t going to happen.

Jakob was barely fourteen summers now, but he had been a part of the Heda’s personal guard since he experienced his twelfth summer. Of course Clarke disapproved because of his age but refrained from telling the Commander. Lexa was so proud of her people. They were expected to be strong from a very young age. Acting like a kid was not something that the grounders understood.

As the couple moved closer to the sound, Lexa stopped, waiting and listening to the words spoken. Clarke rolled her eyes at the gesture. She wanted to get changed, but allowed their pause for now. She was going to have to give a little, if she was going to marry the Great Commander of the Twelve Clans.

“ _Chip op ai nau, ou yu ain rat_ h (Tell me now, or you shall suffer my wraith)” Indra’s hand itched for the dagger tucked inside her inner clothing. Upon the Heda’s return, she would be sure to have a word with her about the guards. She had been saying Jackob was unfit for duty, for two years now.

Clarke eyebrows scrunched. To her everything they said sounded like funny gibberish. She would have to learn Trigedasleng soon if she ever hoped to survive in the grounder culture.

The general’s words were laced with anger, but Lexa’s lips twitched into an almost smile. Indra was more bark than bite, and the boy did not cower from her. His mother had once told him that Indra was as harmless as a trout without the signal of the Heda. Over time, he had taken the message to heart and no longer cared what the woman thought or did unless their leader was directly involved. His lack of fear was one of the reasons he been promoted so fast. The honor of serving the Commander directly at such a young age was next to unheard of. “ _Ai ona ord. Chit don gon Skai Prisa en Heda nou in air_ (I am under orders. What happened between the Sky Princess and the Commander is for no ones ears.)”

Anger coursed through the general. She had had enough of his insolence. “ _Ai na kot yun teisa au en choj op em_ \- (I will ripe out your tongue and feed it-)”

Lexa, all though enjoying the show, made a move to rein in her most loyal follower. “ _Shof op, Indra_. (Be quiet, Indra)” The irritated woman immediately fell silent, the threat dead on her tongue.

The Commander addressed Jakob in English for Clarke’s benefit. She could practically feel the curiosity pouring out of the girl. “You have served well. Return to your family. I shall need you tomorrow.”

“ _Mochof, Heda._ (Thank You, Commander)” Bowing, the boy turned to leave the women. He knew there was something in the air. Something was stewing within Indra that would surely explode. Without him there, Indra would not hold her tongue, and his Commander would undoubtedly be displeased.

Though, not known to Indra, he could see a glimmer of blonde hair amongst the bush. The Sky Princess remained in the shadows, not wanting to interfere. It would have been very interesting to stay and see her role in the fight, but he was too tired and longed for the embrace of his family.

Indra’s steam had not cooled under the Commander’s presence. Without thinking, she remained speaking in warrior’s tongue, as Lexa had done early. “What will our people think? You out with _that girl_ all night.”

Clarke did not like the way she was referred to as ‘that girl’, but remained silent. If things got physical between the two, she would try to step in. She couldn’t do much, but now the Commander’s fights were hers. Their lives would become one soon. When one of them is attacked, both of them are attacked.

“ _Em pleni!_ (Enough)” Lexa’s sexual frustration did not give her much patience tonight. “You will not refer to my betrothed in such a manner. Apologize.”

“ _Apologies_ , Heda,” she muttered not sounding the least bit sorry for her words. “But you know that your people are growing restless while you _play_ with your new toy. There is talk of mutiny if the boy does not die.”

“ _Ai laik heda Leksa kom Trigedakru. Ai chich ste ridioch, en ai frag op eni natrona_ (I am commander Lexa of the Tree People. My word is law, and I shall kill any traitors)” Her words held all the challenge of a fight. She knew that she might very well die for her decision, but she didn’t like that fact thrown back in her face. She also didn’t like that Clarke heard her general’s words. She tried to shield the girl from the majority of their inner politics. She could only imagine how the girl would react.

“ _Jus drein jus daun. Gon Skai Prisa nou laik klir. Emo na frag em op._ (Blood must have blood. The Sky Princess is not safe. They will kill you both)” She had already killed two who dared speak ill of the Commander in front of her and even crippled a man who spoke sexually of the sky princess. There would be many more whose tongues would loosen if they did not see justice.

Clarke’s heart raced thinking about a mutiny. She had started all of this to save Finn, but now it seemed that there was no way she could win. No one would be safe if the Commander was killed. She was the only thing standing in front of an all out massacre of the sky people. Perhaps killing one life was better in the long run, but Clarke couldn’t just back out of the deal now. The tree people would think her weak, and any further dealings with her would be frowned upon.

“ _Nou chip of daun nodotaim_ (Do not speak of that again)” Her hand was already reaching for the hidden blade sown into her pants. “ _Ai na nou teik savog frag em op_ (I will not let those savages kill her)”

Indra moved forward ready to fight her leader. She was sick of hearing the people talk about the Heda’s weakness. If she did not see sense now, then she would surely parish under the blade of her worshipers.

“Wait!” Clarke stepped from the darkness, no longer waiting for the physical violence to commence. “Don’t do this.”

“Sky girl,” Indra muttered shacking her head in disapproval. “I see your play thing is here, Commander.”

“Indra,” she barked teeth bared in anger. “You shall not –“

“Lexa!” Clarke did not want them to fight over her. She had strategically placed herself between the women. If they drew blood, then there was no telling who would still be alive by night end. “Indra, can you give me a moment with your Commander?”

Indra looked hard at the girl, glaring at how she stood awkwardly between the two. “Fine.”

They watched as the older woman stormed away before turning towards each other. The fight still boiled just underneath the surface of the Commander’s skin. She was prickling for a good fight. The sexual frustration was making her see red.

“Lex, why didn’t you tell me?” Clarke’s hands swung wildly in the air. She was fed up with being lied to. Her mother treated her like a child who couldn’t make decisions, and now it seemed to her as though Lexa was acting the same way.

“This is nothing that concerns you,” the Commander spit. This argument was ridiculous. She knew that there was no negotiating with the sky girl in regards to the killer. It was something she had understood from the moment she accepted the arrangement.

“Nothing that concerns me?!? Finn –“

Lexa’s hands came up clamping hard to her betrothed’s mouth as her eyes darted around the forest, looking for invisible shadows. “Shhhh… do not say the traitors name. There are ears everywhere, Clarke.”

“You know what? Forget you. I am going back to my camp.” The Sky Princess turned without another word, walking the way she hoped the fallen Ark was located. She was never good at direction, especially in the dark, but she was not going to ask the older girl for help now.

If she had looked back, she would have seen the Commander gesturing for her hidden warriors to follow the girl. They may be fighting, but the girl was still her betrothed. Tomorrow they would be married, and the arguments outside of the tent would have to stop.

They would both be seen as leaders to the grounders, and have to present themselves as such. There would be no place to run when they fought. It was all something Clarke would have to get used to, but for now Lexa was happy to let her run away. Only one more night apart she thought to herself. Only one more night, and she could have something she had not experienced since Costia.

**Love y'all. Feeling blah though...I post this on tumblr and fanfiction. Just wondering if y'all think I should post it anywhere else.**


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